Many individuals experience negative reactions when donating blood, including dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting. Such reactions may discourage them from donating again. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of pre-donation water consumption and a muscle tensing exercise during donation to reduce negative reactions among new blood donors. This study will also evaluate whether reducing negative reactions increases the likelihood of donors returning to give blood in the future.

Alternating leg lifts at 10-second intervals prior to insertion of the donation needle

No Intervention: 4

Standard donation

Detailed Description:

Severe and potentially dangerous shortages in the blood supply are increasingly common in the United States. As the population ages and as more stringent donor eligibility restrictions are enforced, blood shortages are expected to worsen. One way to meet the increasing demand for blood is to recruit new blood donors. Ideally, these individuals would become lifelong donors, and contribute up to six times per year and up to hundreds of units of blood within a lifetime. Unfortunately, less than half of all new donors provide a second donation. Many individuals who donate blood experience dizziness, weakness, lightheadedness, or in severe cases, fainting. As a result of these negative reactions, many individuals never donate blood again. Preventing these reactions may be an effective way to encourage subsequent blood donations. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of consuming water prior to donation and performing a muscle tensing exercise during donation as ways to reduce negative reactions in new blood donors. The study's long-term goal is to provide blood collection agencies with simple and inexpensive strategies to prevent negative reactions and enhance donor retention.

This study will enroll American Red Cross blood donors who have donated blood no more than twice previously. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the following four groups: 1) pre-donation water consumption and muscle tensing exercise during donation; 2) pre-donation water consumption; 3) pre-donation muscle tensing exercise; or 4) no treatment. Participant reactions will be assessed at the time of donation by self-report and phlebotomist ratings, as well as by self-report 24 hours following the donation. Participants' subsequent donation history will be tracked for two years by reviewing the American Red Cross national donor database.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Must meet American Red Cross donor eligibility requirements

Exclusion Criteria:

No more than two prior blood donations

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00302900